Mar 21, 2012
Should I consider a CD as a worthwhile investment? I am 26, work for a neat nonprofit, paid off my car in 1 year and plan to be paying student loans for 20 years. I have about $5,200 invested in stocks and mutual funds (most of which is split between a Roth and a traditional IRA). I have another $1,000 I'd like to invest. Should I continue with IRA contributions and modest stock purchases or consider something like a CD? The thing is, my online savings account APY is higher than the CD rate. I guess a third option is paying down an additional $1,000 on my student loans. What should I do? Thanks! Michael, Salisbury, MD

Mar 19, 2012
I'm a 20-year-old college student studying computer science. I recently accepted a paid internship offer at an investment bank for the summer. After taxes, I will make around $10,000. How should I spend, invest or save this money to best prepare myself for life after college? Zach, Binghamton, NY

Mar 14, 2012
Currently, I am thinking about going back to school for a graduate degree to change my career entirely. It would be hard to do this while working full-time. I think that if I stick out this job for another 15 years, I should be OK to retire. (It's just me -- no husband or kids -- and I owe about $80,000 on my house.)
I would LOVE to quit and go back to school (maybe with a loan?) for an "encore" career. It's amazing how much more expensive school is now. It's crazy. I know that I will be able to find a position once I have the degree. It may not be earning as much as I do now, but that's OK. Is this even something I should entertain? Jackie, Columbus, GA

Mar 7, 2012
I don't think investors should fear the march of time. The specter of a baby boomer-driven stock and bond market implosion seems implausible to me largely because of the move toward market economies around the world. By the time retiring boomers are selling in earnest, markets will be even more global than they are now. There are a lot of foreigners to buy U.S. assets.

Mar 5, 2012
Are there any disadvantages to purchasing TIPS through something like Fidelity's Inflation Protected Bond (FINPX) for my Roth IRA? Or would it be a better idea to just purchase TIPS directly from the Treasury? Thanks, Danny, Davis, CA

Feb 28, 2012
My company just added a Roth 401(k) investment option to our retirement plan. I am currently saving 6 percent of my salary in my 401(k), with a 3 percent match from my company. (This is the maximum match.) Now that there is an option to invest in the Roth, with the same match available, I am not sure how to adjust my investments. I don't have any other retirement savings besides my 401(k). I have talked this over with a few of my friends and none of them seems to know the answer, either. Thanks for your help! Priscilla, Greenville, N.C.

Feb 23, 2012
My real question is about disability and long-term care insurance. I have some level of short- and long-term disability through work, but my husband has nothing (besides Social Security), and neither of us has long-term care insurance. I worry about what would happen if we lost one income stream. We've looked into these programs, but they are not cheap (especially the long-term care insurance). Is this something we should have? If we do, it will probably mean less savings in other areas (such as retirement). Is it worth the trade-off? Catherine, Princeton, NJ